OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

32.16°S, 56.10°WAmerica/Montevideo
Daylight+58.4°
14:13:03
Fri, Oct 23, 2026
PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM7h 58m of true darkness · 10h 52m total night
DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)
TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW
Sunset19:02
Civil Dusk19:27
Nautical19:58
Full Dark20:29
Nadir00:28
Dark Ends04:27
Nautical04:58
Civil Dawn05:28
Sunrise05:54
LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION
SunsetSunrise
LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry
30° ALT60° ALTZENITHNESW Vega Arcturus Altair Spica Antares Venus (-4.3) Mercury (0.4)
LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous
ILLUMINATION92%
ALTITUDE-29.1°
DISTANCE380,150 km
Moonrise16:37
Moonset04:09
HorizonBelow
LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX0% · Minimal Lunar Glare

Sky background remains dark; faint nebulae and distant galaxies are distinct.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index
42/100
Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

CLOUD COVER15%
HUMIDITY50%
VISIBILITY18 km
DEW POINT10.8°C
PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

PLANETSTATUSMAGNITUDEALTITUDEAZIMUTHCONSTELLATIONRISETRANSITSETEQUIPMENT
Venus♀ Optimal Visibility -4.361.2°293°Libra05:3312:2219:10Naked Eye
Jupiter♃ Below Horizon -2.0-5.8°283°Leo02:5508:1913:44Naked Eye
Saturn♄ Below Horizon 0.3-37.9°117°Pisces17:1623:1405:16Naked Eye
Mars♂ Below Horizon 1.0-14.7°282°Cancer02:2907:4513:00Naked Eye
Mercury☿ Optimal Visibility 0.477.3°331°Libra06:4813:4620:44Binoculars
Uranus♅ Below Horizon 5.6-76.3°217°Taurus21:3902:4907:56Binoculars
Neptune♆ Below Horizon 7.8-31.0°113°Pisces16:4222:4504:51Telescope
TONIGHT'S VIEWING SCHEDULE

When & Where to Look Tonight

A simple guide to when each object is above your horizon. No astronomy chart reading required.

BEST TIMEHighest in your sky
The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES16:37
BEST TIME22:41N · 53° high
SETS04:09
Reaches about 53° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (92% illuminated). Minimal Lunar Glare.
JupiterNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:55
BEST TIME08:19N · 43° high
SETS13:44
Reaches about 43° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.
SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES17:16
BEST TIME23:14N · 56° high
SETS05:16
Reaches about 56° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.
VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky
RISES05:33
BEST TIME12:22N · 76° high
SETS19:10
Reaches about 76° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.
MarsNaked Eye · Good height
RISES02:29
BEST TIME07:45N · 40° high
SETS13:00
Reaches about 40° above the horizon at its highest point.Distinctive crimson hue; polar ice cap discernible near opposition.
OBSERVING LOG & TARGET LIST

Tonight's Prime Deep-Sky Targets

M31 / NGC 224 · Andromeda

Andromeda Galaxy

Spiral Galaxy (2.5M ly)

Our galactic neighbor; visible as a ghostly oval smudge with dense radiant stellar core.

M45 · Taurus

The Pleiades (Seven Sisters)

Open Star Cluster

Breathtaking blue diamond cluster enshrouded in delicate interstellar reflection nebulosity.

M42 / NGC 1976 · Orion

Great Orion Nebula

Diffuse Emission Nebula

Star nursery harboring the brilliant Trapezium cluster with sprawling bat-wing filaments.

NGC 869 & NGC 884 · Perseus

The Double Cluster

Twin Open Clusters

Pair of spectacular shimmering jewel-boxes bursting with ruby supergiant stars.

M13 / NGC 6205 · Hercules

Great Globular Cluster in Hercules

Globular Cluster (300k stars)

Massive beehive of ancient stars packed tightly together into a blazing central ball.

M57 / NGC 6720 · Lyra

The Ring Nebula

Planetary Nebula

Delicate glowing smoke-ring left behind by a dying star 2,500 light-years away.